Denon HEOS AVR vs Pioneer SC-LX801 review

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The Denon HEOS AVR vs Pioneer SC-LX801 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Denon HEOS AVR has 5.1 versus 9.2 for Pioneer SC-LX801. Regarding power, then HEOS AVR has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 65/6 when SC-LX801 has a power of 140/8, 200/6, 255/4. The THD is 0.05% for the HEOS AVR but 0.08% for the SC-LX801. Only the SC-LX801 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The HEOS AVR can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the SC-LX801 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The SC-LX801 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the HEOS AVR. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the SC-LX801.

Extensive connections

The Denon HEOS AVR has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer SC-LX801. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. The SC-LX801 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Pioneer SC-LX801.

Multichannel surround

Only the SC-LX801 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the SC-LX801.